Singing Benediction Hymns When There's No Choir and no Music. How do you know which key to sing in?

[Deo_Gratias42]

So we have weekly Benedictions, and we sing all the traditional hymns (O Salutaris Hostia, Tantum Ergo, etc.). The thing is we sing by ear with no music and no choir. The priest simply starts us off on the first word.

The hymns in and of themselves are simple enough to sing, but the problem is the priest doesn’t sing enough for one to determine which key it’s being sung in, and there’s no one else actually leading the singing. Therefore everyone sings in their own key, or what they think is a key. In short, singing anarchy.

So, does anyone know what the proper thing to do is in such circumstances? I can sing… in an actual key…even in tune, but with all the different keys being sung in, it clashes with everyone else’s clashing, so I find myself hesitant to actually sing out.

 

[TrueLight]

So we have weekly Benedictions, and we sing all the traditional hymns (O Salutaris Hostia, Tantum Ergo, etc.). The thing is we sing by ear with no music and no choir. The priest simply starts us off on the first word.

The hymns in and of themselves are simple enough to sing, but the problem is the priest doesn’t sing enough for one to determine which key it’s being sung in, and there’s no one else actually leading the singing. Therefore everyone sings in their own key, or what they think is a key. In short, singing anarchy.

So, does anyone know what the proper thing to do is in such circumstances? I can sing… in an actual key…even in tune, but with all the different keys being sung in, it clashes with everyone else’s clashing, so I find myself hesitant to actually sing out.

Can you or someone else act as Cantor, just to start the hymns?

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Sing in whatever key is comfortable for you. Start off right away and sing out and maybe others will join you. Benediction at my parish is also usually pretty informal musically. It is still really wonderful.

 

[zab]

Sing in whatever key is comfortable for you. Start off right away and sing out and maybe others will join you. Benediction at my parish is also usually pretty informal musically. It is still really wonderful.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

We are fortunate to have one or two choir members in the congregation; so they start it if they are there. Otherwise one or two other people are usually brave enough to start it. The rest join in and we usually get a mutually agreeable key in the first couple of bars. We do the same for three hymns in weekday mass.

Someplace we are urged to make a joyful noise for the Lord.

 

[isaiah_m]

My problem is the key chosen. Usually it is too high for me and I have to establish my own key or not sing. I refuse the not singing option. Many times others join my lower key instead of keeping their mouths shut. Since I sang in the choir for 10 or more years, I don’t think I am too bad at carrying a tune. While visitng other parishes in various cities and states, I have frequently been asked to join their choirs.

Some people say we should make a joyful noise to the Lord.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Speaking as someone who has no idea what a key or a tune actually is, I think sometimes you should just let go of all that professional stuff and just sing the hymn.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

My problem is the key chosen. Usually it is too high for me and I have to establish my own key or not sing. I refuse the not singing option. Many times others join my lower key instead of keeping their mouths shut. Since I sang in the choir for 10 or more years, I don’t think I am too bad at carrying a tune. While visitng other parishes in various cities and states, I have frequently been asked to join their choirs.

Some people say we should make a joyful noise to the Lord.

As a woman with a deep voice, I find this too. I started singing them an octave lower, but then when the low notes came, it was awkward. Not that I couldn’t reach them, but that I could. Picture a young woman singing in the same range as the men do. It’s like watching a dog meow. Now I just sing the high notes in falsetto.

 

[TheMc]

So, does anyone know what the proper thing to do is in such circumstances?

Sing loud.

But really, maybe ask your pastor to lead for the first line, because if he starts it off, he should really sing enough for everyone to get the pitch. Maybe you could volunteer as cantor so he doesn’t have to?

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Perhaps someone could sound a pitch pipe or a chime or bell on the correct starting note. One Benedictine abbey I visited has a button in the abbot’s chair which sounds an electronic tone to start those prayers where the organ isn’t used.

 

[TheMc]

Perhaps someone could sound a pitch pipe or a chime or bell on the correct starting note. One Benedictine abbey I visited has a button in the abbot’s chair which sounds an electronic tone to start those prayers where the organ isn’t used.

That’s pretty cool.

 

[Sarabande]

So we have weekly Benedictions, and we sing all the traditional hymns (O Salutaris Hostia, Tantum Ergo, etc.). The thing is we sing by ear with no music and no choir. The priest simply starts us off on the first word.

The hymns in and of themselves are simple enough to sing, but the problem is the priest doesn’t sing enough for one to determine which key it’s being sung in, and there’s no one else actually leading the singing. Therefore everyone sings in their own key, or what they think is a key. In short, singing anarchy.

So, does anyone know what the proper thing to do is in such circumstances? I can sing… in an actual key…even in tune, but with all the different keys being sung in, it clashes with everyone else’s clashing, so I find myself hesitant to actually sing out.

I totally know what you mean. It’s always a challenge when the priest is chanting and he’s not staying in any particular key and you are trying to figure out what key to do the responses in. What I’ve done is just sing out in a key that is comfortable for most to sing in and keep it strong. People will usually just “fall in line”. And I’m not one to sing out over people when I’m in the congregation… and I’m trained to sing in large spaces without a microphone. But if I’m in a situation like that, I look at it as just helping out and sort of becoming their leader in song from the pews.